Introduction
A review from my road trip covering a wide loop around Grand Rapids, Michigan
Business/Location Name | Nuvu Fuel – Ionia |
Address | 75 E Grand River Ave, Ionia, MI 48846 |
Network | ChargePoint |
Station Details | 2 Stations (62.5kW/125kW linked) |
Cost | $0.30 kWh |
The Nuvu Fuel – Ionia ChargePoint station was the 1st stop on my trip covering a wide loop around Grand Rapids. This site has been open since November 2020.
Accessibility
The Ionia Nuvu
Fuels station is 0.5 miles north of I-96 at exit 67. The EVSEs are visible from the intersection
of State Rd and Grand River Ave. There
isn’t much else at this exit and traffic should be light, allowing for a quick,
easy charging session. Wide spacing and
side parking provide options for trailer towing parking, with the right
maneuvering.
Amenities
Dining options include: Corner Landing Bar
& Grill.
Shopping options include: Nuvu Fresh
Convenience Store
Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air):
Nuvu
Fuels gas station at this location.
Concentration
This is the standard double station layout for
ChargePoint. This station is the rare pull-beside location. The side-placed EVSE doesn’t make for the
best parking spacing for front port vehicles, however, since spacing is quite
generous at this location, a vehicle pulling a trailer shouldn’t encounter any
issues.
Location
On the I-96 corridor between Lansing and Grand
Rapids, this site is positioned as a “road trip rest stop”. Unfortunately, this would be a charging-only
stop on this route since there’s not much to do in the area. This location is not a jumping off point for
other travels and does not connect with any other major north/south
routes. A great interim stop, but not a
location that is going to be heavily travelled.
Speed
ChargePoint is
offering a middle of the pack solution targeted for the early adoption
phase. These units can output 125kW or
200A. When not paired, or when both are
in use the current limit is 62.5kW or 150A.
While this does not match the most powerful units on the market, it will
support reasonably fast charging for one vehicle. (These units were having trouble
communicating to the ChargePoint backend and I was told in a support
call that they needed a software update, so the app feedback doesn’t include
the nice charging curve)
Summary
I was please to see another ChargePoint
site using the per kWh cost structure. This
is a nice, clean easy to find intermediate stop on the I-96. I tested both units, since going forward, I
want to know that all of the charging equipment at a site I’m reviewing is actually
working.
What I paid for this stop:
Total Cost: $3.96
Total kWh: 13.18 kWh
Time: 11 minutes
Average Charge Speed: 71.9kW (calculated)
Cost per kWh: $0.30
Part 1:
Total Cost: $2.79
Total kWh: 9.30 kWh
Time: 8 minutes
Average Charge Speed: 69.75kW (calculated)
Cost per kWh: $0.30
Part 2:
Total Cost: $1.17
Total kWh: 3.88 kWh
Time: 3 minutes
Average Charge Speed: 77.6kW (calculated)
Cost per kWh: $0.30
Total Score (Max 44) | Score | Accessibility | Amenities | Usability |
23 | C | 6 | 5 | 12 |
